Pork Pozole
PG tested
As winter drags on, there’s still plenty of appetite for warm, nourishing soups. This traditional Mexican pork stew is made with plump and chewy hominy — corn that's been dried and soaked in an alkaline solution to remove the hull and germ.
Corn chips thicken and add a wonderful salty, corny flavor to the broth, and each bowl can be customized. I heaped Cheddar cheese, sour cream and avocado on top. Other traditional toppings include sliced radish, cilantro and chopped onion.
1½ pounds lean, boneless pork loin, diced into ½-inch pieces
2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions)
⅓ cup chopped poblano pepper
2 yellow or orange bell peppers, seeded and ¾-inch diced
good olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano
6 cups good chicken stock, preferably homemade
12-ounce jar salsa verde
2 15-ounce cans white hominy, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups yellow corn tortilla chips, plus extra for serving
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lime wedges, sliced or diced avocado, sliced scallions, sliced radishes, grated Cheddar cheese and sour cream, for serving
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in medium pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pork and saute for 5-10 minutes, until lightly browned on all sides. Transfer pork and any liquid to a bowl and set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in pot, add onions and saute over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add poblano pepper and bell peppers and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add garlic, chili powder and oregano and cook for 1 minute. Return pork and its juices to the pot.
Add chicken stock and salsa verde and bring to a simmer. Stir in hominy, black beans, corn chips, 1 tablespoon salt and 1½ teaspoons pepper.
Simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 teaspoon salt, depending on saltiness of chicken stock and chips.
Ladle posole into large soup bowls. Garnish with a squeeze of lime and top with avocado, scallions, radishes, tortilla chips, Cheddar and sour cream. Serve hot.
Serves 6-8.
— “Cook Like a Pro: Recipes & Tips for Home Cooks” by Ina Garten (Clarkson Potter, October 2018, $35)
For more on cookbook author Ina Garten’s Feb. 26 visit to Pittsburgh and another recipe from “Cook Like a Pro,” check out Wednesday’s Food & Flavor or go to post-gazette.com/food.
Gretchen McKay: gmckay@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1419 or on Twitter @gtmckay.
First Published: February 14, 2019, 1:00 p.m.